Controller



pril 17, 1 5. J. NAGY 3,030,165

CONTROLLER Filed July 51, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY zmuw msim ATTORNEYSS. J. NAGY CONTROLLER April 17, 1962 Filed July 51, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR JTE HEN J NAG) BY PMM m? PM ATTORN E'.Y-

United States Patent 3,030,165 QONTRGLLER Stephen J. Nagy, East Orange,N.J., assignor to Marbelite Co., Inc, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed July 31, 1%58, Ser. No. 752,322 7 Claims. (fil. 312-3]l1)The present invention relates to traffic signal controllers that includecyclic program timers of the pre-timed type.

Traflic signal controllers of the above referred to type usually includea number of components such as a signal sequence controller, one or moresignal program timers for energizing elect-r0 responsive means inaccordance with a predetermined signal display program, as well asadjustable contact actuating keys and change gears for varying the cycletime of the controller. Usually these components are mounted on a commonbase that may be encased within a weather-tight housing.

The type of controller referred to is usually mounted on a pole orstandard at street intersections at which the traffic is desired to becontrolled. Servicing of these controllers requires frequent adjustmentof the various components and substitution of replaceable units whenmalfunction of a component occurs. This servicing requires thewithdrawal of the components from the weather-tight housing in order topermit the desired adjustments to the components or the replacementthereof.

:The principal object of this invention is to provide a traflic signalcontroller or the like that may be mounted within a weather-tighthousing in a manner to be easily withdrawn therefrom for servicing whilestill supporting the controller or the like at a convenient elevationfor servicing.

Another object is to provide a mounting within a housing for a trafficsignal controller or the like that will permit ready withdrawal of thecontroller from the housing at the same elevation the controller assumeswhen located within the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting device for atrafiic signal controller or the like within a housing and arranged topermit ready sliding of the controller out of the housing and to permitturning of the controller about a vertical axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting device for atraflic signal controller or the like within a housing that will permitready sliding out of the housing of the controller under controlledconditions and permit turning of the controller about a vertical axisfor facilitating servicing thereof.

One aspect of the invention may be to provide a weather-tight housinghaving a door thereon opening to the interior thereof. A single track ononly one side wall of the housing may be employed. A slide may betelescopingly connected to the track and it may support a verticallydisposed bearing for receiving a sleeve fixed to the bottom of a basethat may support the various components of the traffic controller or thelike.

In another aspect of the invention an anti-friction bearing arrangementmay be provided between the telescoping track and slide and arranged tobe effective not only to overcome the vertical forces incident to theweight of the traffic controller or the like, but also to overcome aforce couple incident to the employment of a single track and slide ononly one side of the controller housmg.

In another aspect of the invention, the anti-friction bearingarrangement for the telescoping track and slide may include a ballbearing cage having a motion control means forming an integral partthereof for maintaining the track and slide at any desired telescopingposi- V6 t Ice 3,030,165

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing containing atrafiic signalcontroller and to which the principles of the invention have beenapplied;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the traffic signal controllerwithdrawn from the housing for servic- FIG. 3 is a partial elevationalview taken substan tially along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational View taken substantially along line4-4 of FIG. 3;

:FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a ball bearing cage forming a detail ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan schematic view of the controller in positionwithdrawn from its housing, and illustrating its capacity of beingturned about a vertical axis; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the forces encountered by theanti-friction slide bearing of the telescoping track and slide.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the principles of the inven tion are shownas applied to a tratlic signalcontroller comprising a housing 10 ofgenerally box form, having.- a door 11 hinged to the housing 10 and,when closed,

adapted to protect the contents of the housing from the elements. 1

Within the housing 10 and mounted on only one side wall 12 thereof maybe a track member 13 which maytelescopingly receive a slidel4 .in amanner to permit,- when door 11 is open, the movement of slide 14 alongthe track 1 3 so that the forward portion of the slide 14..

extends exteriorly of the housing 10.

A bracket 15 may be fixed to the slide :14 and it may include avertically extending stud 16 that may be reduced in diameter to receivea sleeve 17 that may be rigidly fixed to the bottom of a base 18.

g The base 18 may comprise a rigid plate-like member for supporting thevarious components of the traffic Sig-- nal controller including asignal sequence controller 19 which may be of the drum type, as well asone or more signal program timers 2% of usual form for energizingelectro responsive means in accordance with a predetermined signaldisplay program.

Power for operating the various components as well as signal impulsecurrent may be supplied to the trafiic signal controller by lines 21 and22 that may lead from a source at a central station to the controllerthrough jack mountings 23 and 24 that may extend through thebase 18.

Referring to FIG. 3, the track 13 may include a channel member 25 fixedto the wall 12 of housing 10 and may include horizontally extendingparallel race ways 26 and 27. Plates 28 and 29 may be bolted to the legsof the channel member 25 by screws 36, and the plates may be providedwith a horizontally extending race way 31 and 32 corresponding to, andaligned with the raceways 26 and 27.

The slide 14 may comprise a plate having race ways on each of its sidescorresponding to the race ways 26,

27, 31 and $2, and balls 33 may be located within all of the race waysto provide an anti-friction telescoping mounting for the base 18.

Referring to FIG. 5, a cage 34 of channel shape may. include alignedholes 35 within its legs for the retention of the balls 33, and theassembly may be located between the slide 14 and the track 13, as shownin FIG; 4. The wall joining the legs of cage 34 may include motion re-Patented Apr. 17, 1962 p straining means 36 for maintaining thecontroller and base 18 at any point along the path of the track 13 andslide 14, and in the embodiment shown, takes the form of struck upportions of the cage providing resilient legs that may fiictionallyengage the inside walls of the legs of channel member 25, which wallsmay be provided with motion inhibiting means such as serrations or thelike.

Referring to FIG. 7, it is evident that the force 37 incident to theweight of the controller and base 18 produces a force couple includingvectors 38 and 39 that must be overcome by the anti-friction mounting ofthe track 13 and slide 14, as well as vertical thrust on all of theballs 33.

Referring to FIG. 6, it is evident that with the base 18 withdrawn fromthe housing 10, it with the traffic signal controller can be turnedabout a vertical axis to facilitate servicing thereof.

Suitable stops (not shown) can be provided in the slide or inconjunction therewith for limiting movement thereof in either or bothdirections. Also, the slide of the present invention can be used forother similar instruments and where the base does not require turning,the slide means of the invention can be used on both sides of theenclosure or base. The balls may be spherical but also could becylindrical. They can be of metal or any suitable material.

Although the various features of the mounting for traffic signalcontrollers have been shown in detail to fully disclose one embodimentof the invention, it will be evidentthat numerous changes may be made insuch details and certain features may be used without others Withoutdeparting from'the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a trafiic sign-a1 controller device, a housing; a door providingaccess to'said housing; means within said housing for supporting atraific signal controller; a track member mounted along only one sidewall of said housing; a slide telescopingly coopera-ble with said trackmember; means connecting said supporting means to said slide; and meansattached to said slide for turning said controller supporting meansabout a vertical axis at the edge portion of said supporting means, saidturning means being located outside of said housing when said controlleris withdrawn from said housing.

'2. In a traific signal controller device, a housing; a doorproviding'access to said housing; means within said housing forsupporting a trafiic signal controller; a track member mounted along oneside wall of said housing; a slide telescopingly cooperable with saidtrack member; means connecting said supporting means attached to saidslide means for turning said controller supporting means about avertical axis at the edge portion of said supporting "means, saidturning means being located outside of said housing when said controlleris withdrawn from said housing; and means for maintaining saidsupporting means at various positions along the path of travel of saidslide said maintaining means being mounted adjacent said track memberand said slide and operative in opposition to the movement of saidsupporting means.

'3. In a traffic signal controller device, a housing; a door providingaccess to said housing; means within said housing'for supporting atrafiic signal controller; a track member mounted along only one sideWall of said housing; horizontally extending spaced parallel racewaysformed in opposing relation in said track member; a slide adapted totelescope within said track member; cor responding raceways on bothsides of said slide; balls within all of said raceways; pivotal meansattached to said slide and connecting the edge portion of saidsupporting means to said slide, said pivotal means being outside of saidhousing when said controller is withdrawn from said housing; and meansfor engaging said slide to said track member to maintain said supportingmeans at various positions along the path of travel of said slide.

4. In a trafiic signal controller device, a housing; a door providingaccess to said housing; mean within said housing for supporting atraffic signal controller; a track member mounted along only one sidewall of said housing; horizontally extending spaced parallel racewaysformed in opposing relation in said track member; a slide adapted totelescope within said track member; corresponding raceways on both sidesof said slide; balls within all of said raceways; and pivotal meansattached to said slide and connecting the edge portion of saidsupporting means to said slide said pivotal means being outside of saidhousing when said controller is Withdrawn from said housing.

5. In a traffic signal controller device, a housing; a door providingaccess to said housing; means within said housing for supporting atraific signal controller; a track member mounted along only one sidewall of said housing; horizontally extending spaced parallel racewaysformed in opposing relation in said track member; a slid adapted totelescope within said track member; corresponding raceways on both sidesof said slide; and a separate ball bearing cage extending over the edgesof said slide and between each side thereof for supporting balls inproper relation in all of said raceways; means integral with said cagesfor frictionally engaging said track member to maintain said supportingmeans at any point along the path of travel of said slide; and pivotalmeans for conmeeting said supporting meansto said slide, said pivotalmeans being outside of said housing when said controller is withdrawnfrom said housing.

6. In a traflic signal controller device, a housing; a door providingaccess to said housing; means within said housing for supporting atraffic signal controller; a track member mounted along only one sidewall of said housing; horizontally extending spaced parallel racewaysformed in opposing relation in said track member; a slide adapted totelescope within said track member; corresponding raceways on both sidesof said slide; a separate ball bearing cage extending over the edges ofsaid slide and between each side thereof for supporting balls in properrelation in all of said raceways; and means integral with said cages forfrictionally engaging said track member to maintain said supportingmeans at any point along the path of travel of said slide.

7. An instrument slide means comprising a, track member having opposedspaced parallel surfaces, a slide member telescopically moveablerelative to said track and in said surfaces, raceways extending fromsaid parallel surfaces on both sides of said slide, antifriction rollmeans on said raceways for exerting force on both sides of said slide,cage means extending over the edges of said slide and between each sidethereof for supporting said antifriction roll means in proper relationin all of said raccways, and means integral with said cage means forfrictionally engaging said track member to maintain said slide at anypoint along its path of travel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,005,055 Miller Oct. 3, 1911 1,052,591 Kaiser Feb. 11, 1913 2,070,055Levien Feb. 9, 1937 2,104,939 Whalen Jan. 11, 1938 2,320,276 Gussack May25, 1943 2,622,940 Johnson Dec. 23, 1952 2,622,956 7 White Dec. 23, 19522,679,889 Barden et a1 June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,592 Germany Jan.18, 1930

